The Prophesized Leader: May StarClan Follow
by DwemerSteelBlade
Summary: Emberstar, the leader of FlameClan, must lead his Clan through challenges that have never been pushed forward together. For moons, from the beginning of the Clans, Warriors were never meant to live side-by-side with Notails, but then again, times change.
1. Chapter I

**AN: As far as I know, there is no mention of WHERE the Warrior series takes place, I came up with the setting of Southern Canada.**

 **Oh, and I need at least fifteen Clan cats (At least five warriors, three queens, and the rest are apprentices and kits). I'll make a list of the cats I've chosen and the names of the creators. I also have the deputy covered.**

 **And since FlameClan is on the other side of the Twolegplace, opposite side from the four Clans, they'll have a bit different vocabulary, and it will be a bit more human-influenced.**

 **PS: There is nowhere in the books where they how long Warriors can live without fighting, so I'm estimating at around 12 years.**

 **Emberstar**

 **FlameClan Leader**

 **Ginger/Grey Tabby**

 **25 Moons**

Emberstar had taken out a patrol to hunt, a rare amount of participation on his part. It consisted of Sparkglow, a tabby she-cat with brown and white fur, her apprentice, Robinpaw, Nightshade, a senior warrior tom, and Cedarsun, a newly-named Warrior who had formerly been Cedarpaw.

Cedarsun was practically bouncing with excitement, this being the young tom's first hunting patrol as a Warrior. He was a talkative cat that immensely enjoyed playing around with kits.

Emberstar lifted his head and opened his mouth, scenting the air. As far as he could tell, there was no prey nearby, but there _was_ a water vole farther north. "I can't believe it! My first patrol as a Warrior!" whispered Cedarsun. "Say that any louder and you'll scare all the prey off the territory," replied Emberstar sarcastically, his whiskers twitching with amusement.

"Or to death," grunted Nightshade in a hushed tone. Nightshade wasn't a very friendly or patient cat, which was why he hadn't ever taught an apprentice. He was completely black, save for his white muzzle, paws, and tail-tip. His eyes were a dark blue, brandishing moons of experience.

"Probably not the last one," pointed out Sparkglow, using her paw to punctuate her point. "Could we please return to hunting before we terrify all the soon-to-be fresh-kill away?" asked Nightshade, a small growl rising in his throat.

Emberstar nodded, padding forward silently. He was slightly worried about Nightshade's eagerness to get fresh-kill, as it could possibly break the Warrior's Code. But, then again, Nightshade was known to be extremely hungry at times.

 _Probably just my nights' lack of sleep catching up to me_ , mused Emberstar. It was true – he had been receiving odd StarClan messages which made his rare times of rest feel more like heartbeats then sundown to sunrise. It had been like this for a quarter-moon now, and the only other cat he had talked to about the odd dreams was FlameClan's medicine cat, Steampelt.

Ever since he had been a kit, he had felt something for her. The two were extremely close, but he doubted it would ever escalate from that. After all, the Code didn't allow it. He had learned to ignore his emotions, though.

They crept through the underbrush, Robinpaw glancing around, scenting something. "I smell Ginger Root!" he proclaimed, his tail erect. "Shush!" snapped Nightshade, his head whipping back to face the young apprentice. "But I smell Ginger Root. Before we left, Steampelt told me to be on the look-out for it. She's running low," replied Robinpaw. "Yes, but no need to wake up the whole forest because of it!" Nightshade growled. "Any prey is too far to hear me. I'll just grab it and return to Steampelt," said Robinpaw calmly.

"That is up to Sparkglow," Emberstar gave his two cents, sitting down and inwardly sighing. "Please do – the more we can do to help Steampelt the better," mewed Sparkglow. Robinpaw's eyes lit up, and he scampered off to collect the Ginger Root.

"You have a good apprentice," complimented Emberstar. "Thanks. It means a lot, coming from you," responded Sparkglow, giving her chest fur a few licks to hide her embarrassment.

Emberstar nodded, then suddenly became aware of the very tense Nightshade. "We should continue hunting," he meowed, "lest we return empty-pawed." Nightshade become more relaxed now that they had continued moving.

Emberstar suddenly became aware of Cedarsun's uncharacterized silence. He looked backwards, and noticed that he had disappeared. "Where did Cedarsun go?" Emberstar wondered aloud. He had somehow slipped away, unnoticed by the rest of the patrol. "Here!" As if on cue, Cedarsun walked through a cluster of shrubs, his tail held triumphantly in the air and a plump sparrow clamped in his powerful jaws.

Nightshade's eyes glinted with a small amount of respect. "At least you caught something," he mewed seriously. This merely boosted Cedarsun's pride. He quickly dug a hole and dropped his fresh-kill into it, covering it up to collect later.

"Well done, Cedarsun," he congratulated steadily after he had seen it all play out. "Thank you, Emberstar," the aforementioned cat meowed. The ginger and grey tabby merely nodded, then continued padding forward. "No matter how plump it is, a single piece of fresh-kill is not enough to feed the whole Clan," mewed Nightshade, following Emberstar.

Sparkglow twitched her ears in agreement, following the pair of toms. "Alright. I'll catch more sparrows!" proclaimed Cedarsun enthusiastically. "Except this time, it'll be in our sight, hmm?" Emberstar's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Certainly, Emberstar!" Cedarsun dipped his head, a gesture of compliance.

Emberstar opened his mouth to check for any prey. All he smelled was a couple of small chicks, but they could barely feed a kit, let alone a couple of elders or queens. His sense of smell was suddenly blocked by the abhorrent stench of notail (Human) waste. He wasn't the only one as Nightshade's nose wrinkled up in disgust.

"Fox-dung! Why must they poke around in matters that do not concern them!" growled Nightshade. "Because they believe themselves all-mighty," mewed Sparkglow calmly. Outwardly, she seemed collected and level-headed, but inside, her blood was starting to boil.

Suddenly, a loud roar came from beyond the trees in front of them. The noises scared all the nearby birds, causing them to fly away. Emberstar checked on the remains of his patrol, sawing that both Nightshade's and Cedarsun's fur was starting to bristle, while Sparkglow was focusing on the general vicinity of where they had heard the noise. A low rumbling noise followed.

"It sounds as if it's in our territory," stated Emberstar, his ears perking up and swiveling, trying to pinpoint the sound. "We need to alert FlameClan," mewed Sparkglow. "Agreed," responded Nightshade, sprinting off towards FlameClan camp.

Emberstar said, "While I doubt that they are going to get anywhere near our clan for a moon or two, we can never be too careful," padding off with Sparkglow in tow after Nightshade.


	2. Chapter II

**AN: Thanks to Tina-chan V for helping me out with the lore and life expectancy for the cats. I'm pretty much a kit when it comes to the lore of the series.**

 **I'll also change some of the ceremonies a bit, as this Clan and some others are separate from the original five. So, it's not because I'm too lazy to remember everything, but because of the isolation of the new three clans.**

 **Oh, and unlike the cannon Clans, most of the Clan cats' names will be focused or relate to their Clan's element. FlameClan, which should be glaringly obvious, has name prefixes like Ember, Flint, Amber, and Dawn. While some of these have no direct correlation with fire, they're meant to be focused on heat.**

 **Also, reviews are appreciated! :D**

 **Note: I still need the Clan cat names for MistClan and SandClan. Try to focus the names around the clan's element. Here are a few examples;**

 **MistClan:**

 **Dewkit**

 **Drop-paw**

 **Fogwhisker**

 **DuneClan:**

 **Pebblekit**

 **Snakepaw**

 **Breezestrike**

 **Flintkit**

 **FlameClan Kit**

 **Brown/Black Tortoiseshell**

 **5 Moons**

FlameClan camp consisted of two sides – Underside and Topside. The more critical components of the Clan, like the Warriors' den and Apprentices' den were situated outside the entrance to the massive den that housed the rest of FlameClan, but had two entrances so they could both access Underside and Topside without having to go outside.

The Underside housed the nursery, Medicine Cat den, and the Leader's den. The Elders' den was situatied right next to the Apprentices'.

Kits were encouraged to play around in Underside when possible, so they were safe from the massive predators that this land had to offer.

"I'm Emberstar – I can't be beaten!" exclaimed Amberkit, play fighting with his two littermates. "Nuh-uh! I'm Ashenstar – FlameClan's rightful leader!" squeaked Dawnkit. Ashenstar had been FlameClan's previous leader and the Mentor of Emberstar. She had died in a battle with MistClan, the Clan's neighbors.

Their littermate, Flintkit, sat on the side, grooming himself. "Why is no one Honeybrook? She was deputy, so she saw some action in the battle," Flintkit mewed while licking his leg. This froze his two littermates mid-fight. They had stopped at the exact moment where Amberkit, "Emberstar", was about to throw Dawnkit, "Ashenstar", off of his back. "Because she was a molly! We're all toms!" (Molly is another word for a female cat for those of you who don't know) squeaked Amberkit.

"And? Dawnkit's Ashenstar, and she's a molly. Why not Honeybrook?" Flintkit meowed calmly. "Because Ashenstar was a hero! Honeybrook only fought – nothing else!" squealed Dawnkit. "Fine," conceded Flintkit, padding away to the nursery.

 **Emberstar**

 **FlameClan Leader**

 **Ginger/Grey Tabby**

 **25 Moons**

Emberstar was incredibly tired after having ran the whole way back to the camp. Nightshade and Cedarsun had already retired to the Warriors' den, with the former likely sleeping already and the latter playing with the kits. Only Sparkglow remained with him.

"Leapspring's kits are nearly six moons old, and will turn old enough at moonhigh tonight," mewed Sparkglow as she groomed herself, currently working on her back fur. "I am aware of that," meowed Emberstar, licking his lips.

"I'll go get something from the fresh-kill pile – I feel like I haven't eaten moons," yawned Emberstar, his lips pulling back, revealing wicked fangs. "I should probably talk to Leapspring about her kits," conceded Sparkglow, padding off towards the nursery.

As Emberstar went towards the fresh-kill pile, he was approached by the Clan's deputy, Swiftwillow. He was a white/brown tabby cat whom thoroughly enjoyed training sessions. His Apprentice was Mudpaw, whom was extremely close to becoming a Warrior. Swiftwillow was Emberstar's second closest friend, and liked to make a joke out of things.

"Howdy, Emby," he grinned, waving a paw since he had a plump squirrel in his mouth. "Hello, Swiftwillow," mewed Emberstar. He was the only cat, apart from Steampelt, who could call him that. "Hungry?" he asked. "Yup," confirmed the grey tabby. "Here, have this," Swiftwillow offered the squirrel in his jaws, "I already ate."

"Thanks," meowed Emberstar. As he craned his neck down to swallow the tender, delicious flesh, he heard Featherpaw shouting, "Coyote! Coyote!"

FlameClan automatically entered defense mode, queens ushering their kits into the nursery, Warriors and Apprentices lining up and blocking the two entrances in the dens, then the major entrance in between each.

Amberkit, a usually very cocky and playful kit, squeaked in alarm and darted into the nursery, following his mother and littermates.

Emberstar looked at the entrance, trying to make a shape in the harsh light. The figure of a cat, Featherfoot, came running in, panting. He had four diagonal claw marks on his left hind leg. Now that he was in the Underside, he slowed to a gentle limp.

"I want you to visit Steampelt and get that checked out," ordered Emberstar, sliding into a commanding role. Featherpaw nodded, shaking with fear. With a nudge from the Clan leader, he limped himself into the Medicine Cat's den.

Thankfully, the main entrance to the Underside was large enough to only fit cats and a few other creatures, which meant bears, panthers, and such couldn't fit through the hole. Since FlameClan was fairly new compared to the other two Clans, MistClan, DuneClan, and, of course, StarClan, it hadn't witnessed as many attacks as the others.

Suddenly, a loud and high-pitched _**yip**_ carried to his ears from the entrance. "That is most definitely a coyote!" exclaimed Nightshade. It was followed by restrained growling and some barks. A paw slipped through the entrance and started hitting everything within reach, with no rhyme nor pattern.

The line of cats backed up, figuring out that the coyote would probably not be able to fit. Oh, how wrong they were.

The coyote took out its paw, and replaced it with its head. It made a _**yipping**_ sound once it saw the cats of FlameClan. "Cinderstorm! Attack" shouted a Warrior. Cinderstorm, a grey and black tortoiseshell, yowled and flung itself at the coyote's head, landing on its snout and clawing madly.

The coyote started making whining sounds and tried to retreat and fall back, but found its head stuck in the cave entrance. "It is helpless! Attack!" roared Emberstar, charging at coyote. He was followed by six warriors and three apprentices. They all dogpiled on top of the coyote, making sure to not get near its mouth.

It continued to make those horrid sounds, and became desperate to the point where it shook its head around madly, closing its jaws again and again, in the hope to get one of the Clan members. And it did. Emberstar had been pushed off the coyote, and was unlucky enough to have landed with one leg within biting range of the coyote.

And the next thing he knew, there was searing pain going up his hind leg.

 **0-0-0**

Emberstar limped into Steampelt's den, his eyes clouded with pain. Steampelt, a calico-tabby mix, was just making Featherpaw fall asleep. Marigold was coating his wounds. She turned and jumped, startled by Emberstar's presence.

"What's wrong?" she asked, Emberstar's pain glaringly obvious. "Coyote… got bit…" he rasped, breathless by how light-headed he felt. "It's okay – just lay down and take some poppy seeds," she guided him to one of the nests made of soft, luxurious moss.

He quickly laid down and curled up, his striped tail around him like a tendril. Steampelt quickly shook some poppy from the source, and slid them in front of Emberstar. His vision was clouded with pain, but he could still make out the dark forms of the seeds in front of him. He opened his mouth and used his tongue to guide the pain-dulling seeds into his mouth.

They tasted bitter, like some of the fruit he had tasted before. It was crunchy, giving him the impression of a stiff berry. He swallowed, ignoring the tartness of the remedy.

"Now, tell me what happened," she mewed gently. Emberstar's pain had been reduced to a dull throbbing; bearable, but the grey tabby could still feel its presence. He gave off a low yowl, but that was it. "I was thrown off of the coyote's head, and landed right in front of its muzzle. I should've jumped, but I hesitated," he rasped.

Steampelt gave him a few comforting licks on the head, as a mother might give their kits, and mewed gently, "It's alright. All alright. You need to rest now."


	3. Chapter III

**AN: Well… there's nothing much to say, really. So I'm doing this AN for the shits and gigs, I guess. Carry on, then.**

 **Oh, and I'm making it possible so Warriors, if they want to, can change their names' suffixes, though it won't happen often.**

 **Anyways, I still need those Warriors. (._.)**

 **Emberstar**

 **FlameClan Leader**

 **Ginger/Grey Tabby**

 **25 Moons**

Emberstar was in limbo between conscious and sleep. He felt incredibly drowsy, and to the young tom, everything seemed dream-like, moving in odd ways. He was somewhere he didn't recognize – definitely not FlameClan camp.

He was on a sort of upland, mist shrouding his every side. He could scent many other cat, but could see none. He gradually began to awake to the point where he was aware of his surroundings. "StarClan?" asked the grey tabby, looking around. The mist had transformed into a heavy fog, clouding any sort of vision he could get about a couple tail-lengths away from him.

Dewey droplets clung to his coat, making sure he knew that it was incredibly humid and damp in the area. "Hello?" he called out, starting to become a bit frantic.

"Hello, Emberstar," mewed a familiar voice behind him. The aforementioned leader yowled in surprise, leaping upwards and twisting his body around. He landed on his paws to find his former mentor, and FlameClan's previous leader, Ashenstar.

"You startled me," meowed Emberstar sheepishly, his tail twitching in embarrassment. "I know," Ashenstar responded, smiling a little bit at the younger leader's naivety. "I have come to deliver a message from StarClan," she mewed, her voice becoming distant, "When their blood runs cold, and the moon doesn't shine, the clans must unite, side-by-side."

With a startle, Emberstar woke. Steampelt was still sitting by him, grooming herself. He turned his head to where he had previously seen Featherpaw, but saw nothing. Steampelt noticed he was awake, "Featherpaw's wounds weren't serious, just a few scratches. He needs to sleep in his den for the next quarter-moon, though."

"You seemed like you had a dream," she meowed shrewdly. "Yes, I did," he confirmed, unsure of where this was going. "You mind telling me? I _am_ your medicine cat, after all. I could help you," she pointed out. Emberstar truly wanted to tell her everything, what he felt about her, his worries, _and_ the dream. Finally, he managed to build up mental barriers separating the information needed, and everything else to create mental floodgate. He decided to only say what he had heard and nothing else.

"When their blood runs cold, and the moon doesn't shine, the clans must unite, side-by-side," repeated Emberstar. The mere thought of it made him shudder and his fur stand on end. _The moon won't shine?_ he thought, feeling a bit of fear. Not enough for him to start releasing fear-scent, thankfully.

"I'll think about it, right now, you need to rest. Swiftwillow will carry you to your den. I suggest calling in someone to talk to or something of the like, as you're going to stay here in the camp for the next half-moon," she mewed. This hit the FlameClan leader hard, as he was a very active cat and always enjoyed going on solo hunting patrols. But he'd trust Steampelt with his life, and knew better than to doubt her.

"Er… could you accompany me?" he asked sheepishly. Steampelt gave him a hard stare, one that spoke of sternness and had a bit of a bite to it, "I'm a medicine cat. And you know it."

 _Could she know?_ Emberstar thought, panicked. Outwardly, he was still calm, and merely nodded. "Is Emberstar okay?" asked a familiar voice. "Yes, he is, Swiftwillow," responded Steampelt. Swiftwillow stepped in and sat himself down, next to Steampelt. "My, my, you've done an excellent job," mewed the deputy in a congratulatory tone. The medicine cat purred in contentment.

"Okay, old friend, time to take you to your den," Swiftwillow chortled, slinging Emberstar over his shoulders. The aforementioned grey tom flicked the deputy's ear teasingly with his tail, since he found no more words to speak. He was slightly annoyed that Swiftwillow called him an 'old friend', giving off the impression that he was moons older than he should be, but it was true. They had been friends since they were apprentices.

Swiftwillow carried Emberstar through the Underside, garnering the attention of some of the Warriors and kits. The deputy padded into Emberstar's den, then slid him off, setting him down on the bracken nest. "Just a reminder – you need to do the apprentice ceremony for Leapspring's kits," mewed Swiftwillow. The Clan leader nodded, accepting the reminder.

Swiftwillow padded off. Emberstar was left to his thoughts. _Steampelt doesn't usually purr when she's complimented_ , he thought. "Probably me just hearing things that never really happened," he dismissed it, then decided to fall asleep.

 **0-0-0**

Emberstar was awoken by a paw prodding his side, which turned out to be Sparkglow's. "Huh?" he mumbled groggily, flicking his tail.

"It is moonhigh, which means the apprenticing ceremony," the she-cat mewed gently. "Right, right," yawned Emberstar. He had a short stretch to loosen up his stiff muscles. He checked on his wound, which he had forgotten about until now. He saw multiple puncture marks on his thigh, but they were more like patches with less fur than the rest of his body now. "Steampelt _did_ do well," he murmured to himself.

"Yes, she did," agreed Sparkglow, staring at Emberstar's nearly unnoticeable wounds. "Very well – let us do the ceremony," grunted Emberstar, limping out of his den.

In the Underside, there was a pile of the rocks that was used as a stage for ceremonies and special events. This is where Emberstar climbed up, thanks to some help from Sparkglow. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather under the Highstone, and all kits six months old!" called Emberstar.

Clan cats started leaking out of their dens to the middle of the Underside, underneath the Highstone. Amberkit, Flintkit, and Dawnkit were practically sprinting to their spots. After a couple of heartbeats, almost the whole clan had gathered. Emberstar knew it was time.

"Cats of FlameClan," Emberstar began, "we gather together for one the most important ceremonies in this Clan; the naming of new apprentices. This moonhigh, we elevate Amberkit, Flintkit, and Dawnkit!"

As their names were called, they padded forward, their tails twitching with excitement and eyes glowing with pride. Emberstar continued, "I upon my ancestors and mentor, Ashenstar, to look onto these young kits. Amberkit, step forward."

Amberkit, whose grin would not be suppressed for another moon, padded forward silently but still slightly hopping. "With the power granted to me as Clan leader, I name you Amberpaw!" meowed Emberstar, putting his head on top of the new apprentice's. The newly-named Amberpaw licked his shoulder. "Nightshade, you are courageous and contain an undying loyalty to FlameClan. I hope you will pass these qualities into young Amberpaw," Amberpaw walked towards Nightshade, who was uncharacteristically patient and prideful, and touched noses. The new apprentice went back into his spot.

 _Now, for Dawnkit_ , thought Emberstar. "Dawnkit, step forward," ordered Emberstar. The aforementioned cream chocolate tabby kit rose from his spot proudly, and strode over in front of Emberstar. "With the power granted to me as Clan leader, I name you Dawnpaw!" The apprentice sat straight, his eyes twinkling with pride. Emberstar set his head upon the apprentice, where Dawnpaw licked the leader's shoulder. Emberstar then backed up. "Cedarsun, you are an energetic and formidable Warrior. I hope you will stir these traits inside of young Dawnpaw," mewed Emberstar. Dawnpaw padded over to Cedarsun, whom was practically jumping with excitement and pride. They both touched noses, and Dawnpaw returned to his position.

"Flintkit, step forward," meowed Emberstar. The requested brown and black tabby strode forward, calm and precise in his paw-steps, his whiskers twitching in anticipation. Emberstar started to name him apprentice, "With the power granted to me as Clan leader, I name you Flintpaw!"

Emberstar sat his chin on top of the young tom's head, where the new apprentice licked the leader's shoulder. Emberstar then backed away. "Since we have little Warriors fit to train apprentices," this was true, as FlameClan had become powerful through the fierceness and combat skills of its Warriors, not the numbers, which meant that most cats in FlameClan were impatient and not very good teachers, "I will become your mentor."

Flintpaw's eyes shone with surprise and amazement. Emberstar craned his neck down to touch noses with Flintpaw. They awkwardly bumped heads together, but managed to get it right the second time. "Amberpaw! Dawnpaw! Flintpaw!" shouted the gathering of cats.

The three newly-named apprentices straightened with pride as their new names were called out.

Emberstar was still having a bit of trouble believing that he now had an apprentice to train. This was going to be hard work.

 **Steampelt**

 **FlameClan Medicine Cat**

 **Black/White/Ginger Calico**

 **25 Moons**

Steampelt sat in a hidden part of her den with Swiftwillow, tails intertwined. "You truly are the best medicine cat any Clan could ever have," mewed Swiftwillow, licking her ear. "Thanks, Swiftwillow. It really means a lot, coming from my mate," responded Steampelt.

"But what if the Clan finds out?" she shuddered at the thought. _How would Emberstar react?_ She thought, sadness striking her at the thought of the Clan leader, who looked up to her like a littermate, finding out she had a secret affair with Swiftwillow, his second most trusted friend and deputy.

"They won't – we're being extra careful. There's no chance that they will find us," Swiftwillow reassured her, licking her muzzle affectionately.

"I hope they won't," breathed Steampelt, "I truly don't."


	4. Chapter IV

**AN: Well, someone finally reviewed some cats! :D**

 **Pen-name: BlackFlower MistyClan**

 **Chosen Cats:**

 **MistClan:**

 **Mistwhisker (Edited version of Mistywhisker)**

 **Fogpaw (Edited version of Fogcloud)**

 **Greysmoke**

 **DuneClan:**

 **Hotpelt**

 **Dunestar (Edited version of Dune-eye)**

 **That's all, folks!**

 **Oh, and please review. ^w^**

 **This chapter will take roughly 70 moons before the present time of the story – and trust me, it's not filler – just to show you how important this story's arc is.**

 **Rapidstar**

 **Pale Ginger Tabby**

 **MistClan leader**

 **67 Moons**

 **(Many Moons Before the Present)**

It was an incredibly foggy night in the marshlands. This was the norm there, as the marsh was almost always incredibly humid, creating loads of fog and mist to be used in the environment. Within these "foglands," sat DuneClan's neighbor, MistClan.

"Very good, Mistwhisker," mewed Rapidstar to the aforementioned Warrior. Mistwhisker, a black and white she-cat, dipped her head in acknowledgement, dropping her share of the fresh-kill on the pile. It was starting to reach the height of two tail-lengths, much to the Clan's pleasure.

"This should be enough to last us through most of leaf-bare," nodded Shellstep, a senior warrior tabby tom. "Indeed, it might," Rapidstar half-heartedly agreed, his whiskers twitching in thought.

MistClan was incredibly successful, as the nearly permanent coat of mist that had been bestowed upon their land meant that they had learnt to use their scents of smell primarily for hunting, as you could not see more than three tail-lengths in front of you.

Because, of the Clan's adaptations, they could hunt fairly efficiently since their prey had not changed to the same extent as the Clan cats had.

A sudden gust of the breeze alerted the leader of MistClan that leaf-fall was coming to an end, and that pretty soon, the Clan cats would be struggling to find any sort of nutritional support. Leaf-bares were always hard, and since MistClan's location was in a marsh, there was very little cover from the northern winds that befall the land.

"Rapidstar, you seem chilled to the bones. Might I suggest going into the community den?" asked Shellstep, pulling the wise, old leader out of his thoughts. The community den was a cavern that MistClan had turned into a place of socialization. And warmth during leaf-bare.

"Yes, that would be best," nodded Rapidstar, turning around and padding towards his desired location with Shellstep on his flank. Once they arrived, the old leader caught sight of the Clan's deputy, Branchspot.

"Why don't you park your old and tired bones right here!" mewed the deputy jokingly, patting the spot next to him, effectively inviting both Rapidstar and Shellstep towards a firehole.

Fireholes were when Clan cats dug pits into the ground and put burning materials into it, creating a flame, then a fire, so they could stay warm.

Rapidstar accept the invitation, sitting himself next to the young deputy. "Leaf-bare will be hard, these next moons," meowed Rapidstar, "there's no doubting it."

"I certainly don't," Shellstep told Rapidstar. "If we continue this manner of hunting, though, we may have enough food to last us through leaf-bare – if properly handled," pointed out Branchspot optimistically.

The fire's reflection danced in Branchspot's eyes and played off his fur, giving him a wild yet ethereal look. "Our prey is becoming craftier, and the times that our warriors are catching things are starting to become few and far in between," responded Rapidstar shrewdly, sighing sadly.

"We could line our collectively gathered fresh-kill in snow to keep it from becoming crow-food," suggest Shellstep. "You think we have not tried that?" snapped Rapidstar unexpectedly, "I apologize. I am put under a large amount of stress at the moment. What I meant is that our problem is not with our gathered fresh-kill spoiling, but it running out before leaf-bare ends. Prey is scarce these moons, leaving us with hungry kits and empty bellies."

Shellstep and Branchspot, who had been caught off guard with the weathered leader's sudden comeback, understood completely. It could not be easy being MistClan leader during these moons. "It'd be useless to try to fix a problem that never existed in the first place," finished Rapidstar, flicking his tail as non-verbal punctuation.

"I see…" Branchspot trailed off, lost in thought, "we cannot do much now that prey is retreating to its hiding spots for leaf-bare. So, now, all we can do is pray that MistClan survives."

 **0-0-0**

"The sun is gone!" cried one kit. Much to Rapidstar's despair, what the young kit had said was true. In the sky, what should've been a crisp and clear leaf-bare morning, the sky was thick with black smog. It reeked of notails.

The fear-scent of many cats could be smelled by Rapidstar. For once, he understood the term fear. This was not a problem that he could simply claw away or beat to the death. This was something that was out of his control, something he had no defense against.

This was what he truly feared. Something slipping through his paws and no longer in his control. "StarClan, please let this be a dream," he breathed, stunned by the sight that sat in the sky.

Branchspot raced up to him, his fear-scent heavy and clinging to his pelt. "Rapidstar, what do we do?!" half-asked, half-exclaimed Branchspot. Rapidstar had gathered his wits, and slid into defense mode, "First of all, get all kits and queens inside the nursery. Have all the Warriors and apprentices cover the fresh-kill pile with as much snow as possible – we cannot risk losing the only nutritional support we have left, then tell them to head into their dens."

"Yes, Rapidstar," mewed Branchspot, becoming calmer now that the leader of MistClan had issued commands and knew what to do.

 _StarClan, are we meant to survive through this without incident, or to die from this black veil?_ he thought sadly, seeing Branchspot relaying his orders and all the Warriors & apprentices piling snow on top of the pit that had been lined with snow.

Finally, all the cats had managed to pile a couple of tail-lengths worth of snow on top of the fresh-kill pit, insuring the food's safety. They immediately all retreated back to their dens, save for a few determined MistClan Warriors. Shellstep and Branchspot were among them.

Suddenly, it started to snow. But not regular snow – the crystals were pure black – dark as night.

"What is this supposed to mean?" mewed Shellstep desperately to their Medicine Cat, Flowerpond. "I… don't know," she admitted. Her panic had seemed to subside for the second she answered, her head hanging in shame.

"It does not matter now," Rapidstar felt a mix of fear, panic, and worry. He did not care for his well-being, as long as the clan lived on.

The already thick-layer of snow that had coated the marshlands started becoming pure black, resembling ashen soot more than frigid, white snow. It was worrisome, to say the least.

Rapidstar could not think of anything to combat this, "May StarClan save us."


	5. Chapter V

**AN: I'm gonna introduce my cat who, sadly, passed away a couple of months ago. He lived to be 18. His name was Mies, after a famous architect (I didn't name him. My parents did ;~;).**

 **And to preserve his memory into time, I will add him as a character inside my story. Oh, and he does have a purpose.**

 **He'll be 'Peachpelt'.**

 **Emberstar**

 **FlameClan Leader**

 **Ginger/Grey Tabby**

 **25 Moons**

Emberstar and his border patrol were on their way to meet a very old friend. The patrol consisted of Sparkglow, Steampelt, and Robinpaw. "Which way is it again?" mewed Robinpaw, the first time on this patrol.

"Near the notail nests. He usually is sitting on the fence, waiting for us," responded Emberstar, using his tail to gesture in the general direction. "And who are we meeting?" continued Robinpaw, endlessly curious. "An old friend of ours – a former FlameClan Warrior," this time, it was Steampelt who answered Robinpaw's question.

"Yes. Steampelt, Sparkglow, and I were all mere kits when he was named a Warrior," meowed Emberstar in amusement, "That's how old he is."

"So why isn't he with the other Clan elders?" Robinpaw kept on threading questions. "Well, from what I remember, he was getting very old, so he went to live with notails," Emberstar replied, his memories from the time fuzzy. He had just been named a Warrior when his friend, Peachpelt, had left the Clan to live among notails.

"Here we are!" exclaimed Steampelt, pulling the leader from his thoughts. To his surprise, they _had_ reached their destination – the fence bordering on FlameClan territory and the notail nests.

"Greetings!" called the rusty and warm voice of his old friend, Peachpelt. "Hello, Peachpelt," nodded Emberstar. The rest of the patrol echoed the same thing. Peachpelt was a very pale ginger tabby, his pelt a very peachy color, therefore his name. He had a white undercoat that reached his paws, giving him sock-like markings.

This time, he wasn't alone. He had a blue-silver kit next to him, which looked barely old enough to leave the nest. "Who's this?" asked Peachpelt, grabbing the kit by the scruff and clambering carefully down the fence. He gestured at Robinpaw with his tail.

"This is Robinpaw, one of our new apprentices," responded Sparkglow, who had been quiet for most of the trip. "Congratulations, young one," Peachpelt nodded. "I'm almost a Warrior though," Robinpaw mewed in a slightly confused manner.

"In other news, who is the kit? A family member?" Emberstar inquired, nodding to the blue-silver kit who was starting to mew feebly. "No. I found him on the side of the street in front of my housefolk's home. I tried getting someone to take him in, but no one wants him, so I was hoping you could take him into the Clan," meowed Peachpelt calmly, nudging the little kit forward. Apart from the fact that a few clumps of fur were missing from the young creature's pelt, he was in perfect condition. Emberstar turned to Steampelt, "I think we should – he won't survive long without milk," the leader mewed calmly. Steampelt responded, "I think Gingerdawn will be able to nurse him back to health."

Gingerdawn was a young queen that rarely ever came out of the nursery, due to the fact that she had two litters and expecting another. That was why Emberstar didn't usually see a lot of the ginger-brown she-cat.

"Excellent," proclaimed Peachpelt, "I wish to see this small kit taken to FlameClan camp."

The FlameClan leader shared a look with Steampelt. "I'm not sure that's a good idea," he mewed hesitantly. "Why not?" Peachpelt's ears perked upwards, confused slightly. "You're an elder, so you might not be able to make the journey, and many of the FlameClan cats won't remember you, so they'll think I brought some random kittypet…" responded Emberstar.

"Excuse me, but some _random kittypet_?" repeated the elder, ears flattened slightly, "I have served FlameClan endlessly throughout my life."

"Well, yes… but we know you – we were alive when you were named a Warrior. Most of the Warriors and all the apprentices now don't even know who you are if they haven't listened to some of the elders' stories, and they very rarely do," explained the FlameClan leader, staying calm.

Peachpelt's ears went up again and his fur smoothened, "Understandable reasoning, but still. I'd like to see this kit inducted into FlameClan." The elder gave the scrap of fur a little nudge forward, as if willing him to the Warriors.

The little kit gave a few hesitant sniffs towards Emberstar and the other cats, but then meowed feebly and stumbled forwards. "Well… he already seems comfortable with us," Robinpaw pointed out, licking his paws. "I don't see the harm in adding a new kit to FlameClan's nursery – this Newleaf is plentiful and our queens have milk to spare – besides, there is no such thing as too many Warriors," reasoned Steampelt, "And I doubt that anyone would have a quarrel with an ex-FlameClan Warrior revisiting his camp."

Emberstar gave it one last thought, then nodded in agreement. "Very well," he mewed, heading off and flicking his tail to command the other cats to follow.

 **0-0-0**

"My oh my, you've certainly expanded since Ashenstar's time," mewed Peachpelt in splendor. "Wait, I just realized that we never learned your name," meowed Robinpaw. "Mies," responded the elder. "Actually, his Warrior name was Peachpelt, but I'm going out on a limb and saying that's the name your house-folk gave you," remarked Steampelt. "Correct," Mies carried the small scrap of fur in his mouth by the scruff, garnering a lot of attention from the gathered Clan.

Once they reached the Highstone, Emberstar clambered to the top, and yowled the standard gathering command. This was next to useless, though, as most of the Clan had already gathered around to watch the newcomer Mies.

"Though Clans do not often do this, we are bringing in a new kit from the Notailplace," mewed Emberstar, his voice powerful. Nightshade spoke up from the crowd of cats, "He reeks of the Notails and is most likely a kittypet. We do not need kittypets inside our Clan."

"May I remind you that our leader before Ashenstar was Cinderstar, one of the most powerful warriors in the history of FlameClan wasn't Clan-born? He was born in a Notail next, but craved for the scents and sights of the forest," responded Emberstar coolly. With that, Nightshade was quieted.

"So, if anyone else won't object, I hereby name this kit Wavekit, in honor of his sleek fur that runs like water," the leader mewed, grabbing the small scrap of fur by the scruff. The Warriors of FlameClan were hesitant to call out his name. As if on que, Wavekit let out a loud, prideful mew. Swiftwillow then started shouting "Wavekit! Wavekit!". The rest of Clan joined in, and finally, it looked like every cat, including Nightshade, was shouting the young tom's name.

"Gingerdawn will take care of this young kit," meowed Emberstar to the FlameClan deputy, "I've to prepare for the Gathering tonight."


	6. Chapter VI

**Flintpaw**

 **FlameClan Apprentice**

 **Ginger/Grey Tabby**

 **25 Moons**

Although there were only three clans in the combined Clans' territory, all of them had large numbers, due to the plentiful prey that seemed so keen on being caught this Greenleaf.

The Gathering took place at a large hilltop, where they could look over a large portion of each of their territories, and be much closer to StarClan. At the hilltop, there was a massive rock with a flat surface, which had been there since before the oldest Clan, MistClan, had formed.

The party of cats from FlameClan padded up the slope, tails and whispers twitching in anticipation. "Woah…" mewed Flintpaw. "What is it? We haven't even reached the Gathering yet," Robinpaw asked, cocking his head curiously as the band of cats walked. "Listen," responded Flintpaw. Robinpaw focused, straining his ears and blocking out the sound of pawsteps. The faint sound of many Clan cats carried on the wind. "That's odd," remarked Cedarsun. He had overheard their conversation.

"Shhh," the FlameClan leader silenced the three, preventing them from speaking any further, "We're nearly there."

Sure enough, several heartbeats later, they reached the top. To see several cats. The mixed scent of FlameClan, MistClan, and DuneClan was in the air, though Flintpaw couldn't distinguish each. Numerous cats were in clumps, some were off on their own, or sharing tongues with others, all around the Slashtree. It was the remnants of a massive oak, which had stood tall. In ancient MistClan myths, it had been cut in half by a lightning strike that had struck it exactly where it was cut.

Emberstar gave the clearing a swift glance, and moved his tail side-to-side to signify that they could all go ahead. Flintpaw followed the FlameClan leader, silenced by the sheer multitude of all the cats visible. "Amazing, right?" mewed Robinpaw. This was the brown tabby apprentice's second gathering, causing a little bit of envy to stir up in Flintpaw. Nothing major though. "Yeah…" Flintpaw murmured the response, keep his belly to the ground in case he fainted by the sheer daunting factor of the gathering.

Smoothly, the group broke into groups, Flintpaw following Robinpaw since the tabby apprentice already knew the land here, and Flintpaw didn't want to be a straggler. Emberstar leapt up onto the massive stump in the middle of the clearing, his tail and head held high. There were two other cats on the stump. There was a silver-grey Bombay she-cat with icy blue eyes, and then there was a pale, sand-colored tom whose amber eyes shimmered. At this distance, Flintpaw couldn't tell what the odd leader's intention was.

"Meet the new apprentice, Flintpaw," he heard Robinpaw mew, pulling him out of his thoughts. He had been so distracted by the leaders that his body seemed to have a mind of its own. He was facing three other cats. Flintpaw gazed at Robinpaw, flicking his tail curiously. "This is Palebreeze," Robinpaw introduced the Warrior, gesturing at her with his tail. Palebreeze was a she-cat, and true to her name, her pelt was a pale grey color. She had questioning green eyes, and she dipped her head in greeting. "And this is Drippaw and Thawpaw," the two apprentices were obviously littermates, mirroring each other with their names and appearances. They both puffed out their chests, as if trying to impress Palebreeze. "And this is?" Palebreeze asked, gesturing to Flintpaw. "Oh, that's my new friend, Flintpaw," grinned Robinpaw, playfully batting at Flintpaw's ears with his tail.

Flintpaw mock-glared at Robinpaw, purring quietly. "Hey, Palebreeze!" shouted a voice from behind. The aforementioned Warrior glanced back, and began to let out a loud, rumbling purr. A brown and khaki tom raced to Palebreeze's side, looking out of breath and disheveled. "Oakleg, what took you so long?" Drippaw asked, his tail flicking sideways. "Had to talk to Eagletalon – he was putting on airs," Otterback responded.

Otterback had long legs, thick with muscles. His tail had long fur hanging from the skin, making it look like his tail was twice as big as it would've normally been. The tom had glowing amber eyes that seemed to pulsate, and had massive paws that were as big as half a kit.

"Who's Eagletalon?" Flintpaw asked, cocking his head curiously. Otterback grinned, "You'll see."

An abrupt yowl from the top of a stump called all the cats' attention. The group of cats turned their heads to see the three leaders standing proudly on top of the stump. The first leader, the silver-blue one, stood forward. She held a sort of regal atmosphere, her stance rigid yet not unfriendly. "That's Cherrystar," whispered Robinpaw into his ear. "MistClan has suffered the death of two of its elders; Raincoat and Dewtail," the diplomatic leader held her head somberly, "they will be honored by their Clan, and will hunt among StarClan now."

The whole clearing was quiet for a few heartbeats that seemed to stretch for a lifetime. "With the bad news out of the way, I can jovially say that MistClan has gotten a new litter of kits, and a new deputy; Eagletalon," her voice conveyed genuine happiness as the cat that Flintpaw guessed was Eagletalon stood at one of the gnarled roots of the stump. He was a huge tom, with a sand-colored tail and paws. His eyes were morning light grey, and his ears were fairly small. Eagletalon whipped his tail back and forth, either from pride or anxiety.

Cherrystar then padded backwards, into the middle of the stump. A sand-colored cat came forward, his eyes narrowed, as if the two other Clans would attack him at any moment. "DuneClan brings both sad and good news. Our leader, Vulturestar, has died," the cat gave no gesture of sadness, nor anything to respect the wise, old leader, as was customary, "I have taken up the mantle of being leader of DuneClan as Dunestar."

Some cat in the back yowled out, "Wasn't your name Rockpelt?"

The leader hissed defensively, his hackles raising up on his back. "Calm down, Dunestar – we wouldn't want to anger StarClan, now, would we?" the leader had lost her diplomatic atmosphere and talked more like a mother. Dunestar ignored Cherrystar and glared at the back, trying to find the cat who had said that. For a couple of heartbeats, he narrowed his eyes, searching, but gave up. "I was originally called Rockpelt – but I believe that my name change would be more appropriate for DuneClan," he growled through gritted teeth.

"Any _good_ news to bring?" Flintpaw heard Emberstar interrupt, uncharacteristically hostile. Dunestar shot a glare back at the FlameClan leader, his amber eyes glimmering with irritation. "Yes – but irrelevant," the cat said carefully.

He then turned to face the mass of cats below the stump, and inhaled, as if building up suspense. "Nofurs have been scented in our territory!" he yowled, throwing his head back. Flintpaw was surprised. From the stories the elders had told him when he was a kit, DuneClan lived in the sandplace, a seemingly endless land of sand. It was already hard enough for the Clan to live there, as it was extremely arid, but nofurs? They were about as stealthy as badgers! And they seemed to drink as much water as a whole Clan. Why would they be in DuneClan's territory?

"Maybe they were simply stragglers who wandered off a footpath?" suggested Emberstar helpfully, his hostile demeanor gone. "I doubt it – they were scented at the edge the ravine. For all who don't know, DuneClan camp is situated inside a ravine, in the heart of DuneClan territory. We have scented the occasional straggler near our boundaries, but they were usually only a couple of fox-lengths within it, and they were few and far between," meowed the DuneClan leader. "But what would Nofurs want with DuneClan territory? There is barely any food there, and far less water," mewed Cherrystar, voicing Flintpaw's thoughts.

"It doesn't matter what they want – it's what they'll _do_ that matters," pointed out Emberstar. Dunestar abruptly stalked back to the center of the stump, between the FlameClan leader and Cherrystar. The aforementioned orange-and-grey tabby seemed a bit surprised, but got over it relatively quickly. He padded forward, sitting down at the edge. "FlameClan has good news; the naming of new apprentices," Emberstar started. Flintpaw then felt Robinpaw urging him forward with his paws. "C'mon – this is where you go up to the stump!" the apprentice whispered into Flintpaw's ear. The newly named apprentice's throat went dry, and was hesitant, but his paws seemed to overrule his mind. He found himself weaving through the mass of cats, and sitting down on the gnarled roots of the stump beside his two littermates, Dawnpaw and Amberpaw.

His two littermates sat proudly, their chests puffed up and their heads and tails held high. "Dawnpaw, Amberpaw, and Flintpaw are new apprentices of FlameClan," Emberstar mewed regally, his eyes shining with pride. At this, the clearing broke out in cries of their names. It was mostly FlameClan and MistClan, but there were also some DuneClan cats joining in. FlameClan was the most well-liked Clan of the three, having an allegiance with MistClan regarding food.

Flintpaw, who had originally felt increasingly anxious, now felt prideful and lively, puffing his chest out to match his littermates, his eyes narrowed with pleasure.

The calling eventually calmed down, and the three newly-named apprentices returned to their original spots. "Great performance up there! Just look less anxious," Robinpaw teased him. Flintpaw purred in amusement, flicking his tail at Robinpaw's ear.

"This Gathering is done," Dunestar growled, lashing his tail in a gesture for his cats to follow. The DuneClan cats looked a bit confused, and some even reluctant, but it was their leader. They had to obey, and obey they did. Emberstar and Cherrystar stared after Dunestar and the band of DuneClan cats, Emberstar whispering something to Cherrystar that Flintpaw couldn't catch over the loud mews of conversation.

"Did you see that?" Robinpaw abruptly whispered into Flintpaw's ears, making Flintpaw jump since he had been pulled into his thoughts. "What? The whispering?" Flintpaw asked, his ears twitching with curiosity. "Yeah… what do you think that's about?" Robinpaw mewed in a hushed tone. "I don't know…" Flintpaw admitted, "But I know one thing – it doesn't concern us."


	7. Chapter VII

**Emberstar**

 **FlameClan Leader**

 **Ginger/Grey Tabby**

 **26 Moons**

Emberstar was awoken by a nose prodding his flank. He was incredibly groggy, and everything was still blurry. "Wha?..." he muttered confusedly, blinking the sleep from his eyes. As soon as everything cleared, he could tell that it wasn't yet the morning, as light reflected well in the Underside. He glanced back at the cat who had woken him, surprised to see the scrap of fur the Clan had adopted a while before. Wavekit still had his eyes shut, bumping into Emberstar's flank repeatedly, mistaking him for the kit's mother.

He mewled helplessly, kneading Emberstar's side. The FlameClan leader watched in amusement. After a couple of heartbeats, Emberstar picked the small kit up by the scruff and carried him out of the den, Wavekit starting to mewl hungrily. "I'm going to have to take you to Gingerdawn, won't I?" Emberstar sighed, his mew muffled by the scrap of fur dangling from his mouth. As if in answer, the kit mewed quietly something that sounded like 'Yes,' and Emberstar obliged, slipping into the nursery.

There were only three queens in the nursery; Gingerdawn, Blueswirl, and Leafear. Leapspring had gone back to being a Warrior after her kits became apprentices. Thankfully, they were all very heavy sleepers, and only Blueswirl had kits – which followed their mother in terms of tiredness. Gingerdawn slept soundly, her litter of two kits snoozing soundly next to her belly. Emberstar prayed to StarClan that the kit wouldn't mew loudly like he had on his actualization and wake all of the queens – Leafear especially, since she was particularly prickly during the mornings.

Thankfully, the kit seemed to hear the soft breathes of the queens and understood that he had to be quiet, but he still let out a nearly imperceivably mew, one that not even Emberstar would've heard, had he not seen the kit open his maw. The FlameClan leader gently pawed Gingerdawn's flanks, trying to wake her without awakening her kits.

The ginger queen woke up, her eyes narrowed sleepily. As she blinked the sleep from her eyes, she recognized Wavekit. The reclusive she-cat seemed on the verge of shouting 'Wavekit!' but remembered in the last heartbeat that she had two sleeping kits curled at her belly, along with two other queens in the nursery. Emberstar gently plopped Wavekit in with the two other kits – Ebonykit and Oakkit – and Gingerdawn blinked gratefully at the FlameClan leader. Emberstar responded with a dip of his head, then softly padded out of the nursery, glancing back to see the ginger queen use her head to nudge Wavekit to her belly to nurse. With that, he padded out into the Underside.

From the absolute darkness that consumed everything, he was sure that this was before daybreak. Everything felt cold, and made his fur prickle, reminding him of the inevitably of leafbare that was going to hit the Clan territories. Would his Clan have enough to last through leafbare? That was yet another burden that he had to bare as Clan leader.

"What are you doing, up so early?" a soft voice jolted him out of his thoughts. He visibly jumped, alarmed. A scent came over him, and he instantly recognized Steampelt. "Wavekit woke me up… he had strayed from the nursery," Emberstar told the medicine cat, purring in amusement. He then realized how mortified Wavekit would've been. A journey through the massive underside all alone in near total darkness as a kit for him was an absolute and complete 'no'.

"A little adventurous, isn't he?" Steampelt mewed longingly. Emberstar couldn't tell whether this was because she would've liked to be a bit more adventurous as a kit, or have kits of her own. "Do you ever regret becoming a medicine cat?" he asked carefully, his pelt prickling at the possible responses. A silence ensued for the next couple of heartbeats, but felt like a lifetime. "Sometimes…" Steampelt conceded, her voice thick with suspicion. "Anyways, why are you up so early? I know that you hate waking up before sunrise," purred Emberstar, changing the subject quickly to avoid suspicion. "Actually, I received a sign from StarClan," mewed Steampelt. This caught the leader off-guard, "What did they say."

"I had asked for an apprentice after you all got back from the Gathering," she started, "And I had a dream. I was in the Gathering clearing, but it was all covered in snow." This alarmed Emberstar. Did this mean that the land would become no more fruitful than DuneClan territory? Steampelt's voice revealed no such worries. "A stripe appeared across the snow, black as night. When I put my paw up against it, it felt like a rock; ebony," Steampelt finished. "Ebonykit?" Emberstar guessed. Steampelt nodded, "If I interpreted that right."

Ebonykit had always been a very quiet kit, and hadn't ever truly been interested in playing with the other kits, unlike her brother, Oakkit. He was a rambunctious kit who liked to get in trouble, much like Amberpaw and Dawnpaw had when they were kits. Ebonykit had also always been easy to identify, with a distinctive black stripe going down her dark grey coat.

"It would be better to tell her during the day – when she can fully understand," Emberstar advised, thinking of when he was a kit. Steampelt cocked her head thoughtfully, and after a couple of heartbeats conceded, "Alright. They're getting near their six-month-mark anyways." This suddenly made Emberstar remember – the two kits had turned five months old the day before the Gathering, and by next Gathering, they would be apprentices. He had already chosen Oakkit's mentor; Swiftwillow. Emberstar had always been a bit doubtful of Ebonykit's dedication to a fight, whether he admitted it or not, so he had always kept a mentor in mind but had never decided.

Steampelt padded off, presumably back to her den.

Emberstar was left staring after her, deep in his thoughts. Ebonykit would soon become Ebonypaw. Emberstar still remembered the excitement that sparked through his pelt and the tingling in his paws as he was named an apprentice, and even more so when he was named Emberpelt, his Warrior name.

His mind was stopped from wandering when he saw a glimmer of light coming from the entrance to the Underside. He padded forward, realizing that it was not the warm shine of the sun, but the cold light of the stars. His body seemed to start shaking a bit, as if a groundrumble (earthquake) was happening, but he felt no such thing. Unsteadily, he continued out of the Underside. Multiple dots of light were sprinkled around the entrance, shimmering white and silver. He looked towards the forest, seeing the faint outline of a cat in the dots of light. Abruptly, he stopped shaking, and strength flowed into his paws. The starry cat looked back at him, then padded off into some shrubbery.

Emberstar followed, curious like never before. "StarClan?" he murmured, glancing around after he had gone through the shrubbery. A soft wind flowed through the trees, and he thought he could make out a 'Yes' through the rustling of branches. "StarClan, are you there?" he insisted. The starry cat he had see before walked out of some bushes, and the cat's form seemed to become solid and touchable – not like the ethereal outline that was there moments prior. A scent washed over him; one that he recognized almost instantly. "Ashenstar?" he asked wondrously. He was not unused to the former FlameClan leader visiting him through dreams and omens, but so directly and, in addition, in the waking world was astonishing. Giving it a second of thought, Emberstar shivered. The message she held was either extremely urgent and carried bad news that could not be delayed a second longer, or incredibly good news. He was inclined to believe the former.

"Yes. It is me, Emberstar," her soft mew came from her form, her eyes still containing that ethereal quality that her form had held before. "Why are you here?" he asked, still entranced by how real yet spirit-like she looked. Her cinder-colored pelt was bathed in pale silver light of the glowing dots, and her eyes reflected the shine. Instead of a response, Ashenstar mewed steadily, "The time for blackened skies come nearer, and the Clans must become one."

And with that, she turned tail and jumped into the underbrush, her form becoming starry again. "Wait – don't go!" Emberstar called for his former mentor, but he received nothing. With that, he ran into the bushes blindly, branches and leaves smacking him in the face. He abruptly bumped into something, and for a second he thought it was Ashenstar, but he remembered that she had no solid form now. He looked up to see the form of another cat crouching in the grass, their hackles raised. The familiar scent of FlameClan trailed into Emberstar's nostrils, and he realized that it was actually Cedarsun. "Emberstar?" Cedarsun asked curiously, staring at his leader.

Emberstar responded with, "What are you doing out here?" Cedarsun stared at his leader incredulously, but responded after a couple of heartbeats. "Hunting," he replied. Emberstar was skeptical for a heartbeat, but all skepticism faded when he saw that a vole and rabbit were at Cedarsun's paws, as if he had dropped them when the grey/ginger tabby had crashed into him. "Why are you hunting so early?" asked Emberstar. "Well… I couldn't sleep, and I was feeling too antsy to simply stay in the Warrior's den, so I decided to help out and hunt a bit," Cedarsun admitted sheepishly. "That help is much appreciated," Emberstar mewed thankfully, "I'll help you get all of this back to the Clan."

 **0-0-0**

 **Steampelt**

 **FlameClan Medicine Cat**

 **Black/White/Ginger Calico**

 **26 Moons**

"Are you sure no one will walk in on this?" Steampelt asked the FlameClan deputy, who was pulling lichen across the entrance to Steampelt's den, then placing a rock outside, which meant 'Don't Come In Unless It's an Emergency'. "Positive," Swiftwillow responded, "And if anyone walks in, we'll quickly switch positions and you can say that I have a belly-ache."

"I just… I just feel terrible breaking the code," Steampelt admitted, hanging her head. The terrible thought crept into her head again. _What would Emberstar think? Would he be ashamed, furious, or even heartbroken? Would he go as far as banishing me from the Clan?_ Steampelt shook her head, as if a few simple movements would rid her of all the horrid thoughts that she managed to keep alive, beyond her comprehension. _If he did, I would completely understand_.

"We don't have to do this if you don't want to," Swiftwillow mewed softly, sitting down beside Steampelt and licking her ear affectionately. The FlameClan deputy say the thoughts haunting her in her eyes, and mewed, "Don't worry. If Emberstar finds out, I'll take all the blame. I'll say that I forced you to love me and you were simply trying to find the time tell Emberstar without getting hurt." Swiftwillow's voice cracked at 'forced,' as if he found the thought appalling.

Steampelt stared into Swiftwillow's eyes for what seemed like a lifetime, "Alright."


End file.
